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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: branch · stand · squash · mark · capital · shower · nail · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. squash — the sport
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — a division
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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