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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 116 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: branch · face · ball · stock · mark · capital · race · fork

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. face — part of the head
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — to point toward
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a great time
  11. capital — a city
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — goods
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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