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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: field · bay · branch · jam · foot · capital · can · chip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. branch — a division
  3. field — farmland
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — a measure
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. capital — a city
  19. chip — for betting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. capital — money
  24. field — for sport

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