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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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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: chest · ruler · branch · pitch · capital · arm · swing · object

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — money
  11. object — an aim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. branch — a division
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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