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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: scale · suit · capital · band · field · vault · pitch · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — for sport
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — money
  10. suit — clothes
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. band — a ring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. capital — a city
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. suit — in cards
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — a subject
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitch — a sports field

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