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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: foot · capital · saw · ball · bank · chip · degree · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chip — to eat
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a city
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chip — for betting
  24. foot — the bottom

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