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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 · branch · fan · rush · chair · kick · pass · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — in football
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — bread
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — to succeed

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