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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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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: stem · fork · branch · cap · pound · capital · deal · can

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pound — a weight
  5. capital — a city
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — money
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. deal — an agreement

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