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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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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: jam · capital · racket · scale · pit · nail · band · branch

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. scale — in music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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