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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: cap · season · capital · board · branch · craft · fall · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. capital — a city
  5. fall — the season
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — a division
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — money
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. season — of the year
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. capital — a big letter

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