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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: calf · capital · pitch · cabinet · rush · branch · chest · perch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chest — a box

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