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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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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: cell · racket · chair · toast · capital · bowl · perch · branch

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — a division
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. toast — bread
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. capital — a city
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cell — in biology

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