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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: capital · branch · key · cap · track · dip · racket · field

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. capital — a city
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. key — the most important part
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — money
  10. field — farmland
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a hat
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — a subject

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