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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 116 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: pitcher · can · branch · nail · prune · wound · capital · board

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. capital — money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. can — to be able to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — a city
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  24. nail — on a finger

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