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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: branch · fine · capital · bore · can · saw · pitch · trunk

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — all right
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. capital — money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — the tool

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