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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 · charge · branch · track · jam · date · march · scale

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — to keep track
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — a price
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — electricity
  17. track — a path
  18. date — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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