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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: mark · net · perch · capital · branch · safe · cabinet · season

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — the fish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. mark — a grade
  24. branch — of a bank

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