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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: capital · branch · racket · chair · plane · snap · ball · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chair — a leader
  4. branch — a division
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. plane — a tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. capital — a city
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a tree

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