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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 120 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: branch · current · cap · perch · capital · foot · deal · rush

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. foot — part of the body

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