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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
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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 · jam · cue · capital · pop · root · mine · tube

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. capital — money
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mine — for digging
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pop — music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. root — of a word
  22. capital — a city
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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