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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 120 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: capital · cabinet · foot · branch · chair · racket · dip · content

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. capital — money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. branch — a division
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — the amount
  12. chair — a leader
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. capital — a city
  18. dip — to sink
  19. foot — a measure
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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