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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: jam · foot · ruler · pitch · branch · root · shower · capital

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — to wash
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — a city
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — the bottom
  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