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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 · cell · branch · key · date · pitch · staff · stick

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. capital — money
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cell — a phone
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — a city
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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