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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · branch · capital · pit · rule · trunk · mug · bore

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a face
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. branch — a division

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