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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: toast · branch · current · suit · capital · craft · chip · lean

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. toast — bread
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. capital — money
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — in cards
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — a city
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — boats
  14. lean — thin
  15. branch — a division
  16. suit — clothes
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. craft — a skill
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. current — of water
  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