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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · branch · lie · capital · racket · present · nail · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — the time now
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — there
  23. capital — a city
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com