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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · capital · kick · branch · land · safe · lie · prune

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kick — in football

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