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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: tube · mouse · sharp · field · branch · nail · bay · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. field — for sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. capital — money
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tube — the underground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. capital — a city
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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