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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: track · cap · cabinet · bore · capital · rush · branch · mine

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. capital — money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — for digging
  8. track — a path
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — a city
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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