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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · nail · pit · bass · capital · foot · branch · spring

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — a coil
  3. capital — money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. capital — a city
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spring — the season
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — a measure
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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