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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: capital · bank · branch · rash · straw · pound · rule · mine

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. capital — money
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — a law

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