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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · row · leaves · bound · pitch · lash · branch · capital

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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