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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.

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: branch · cap · land · foot · capital · calf · bay · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the fish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — a measure
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — low music
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. land — a country
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. calf — a young animal

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