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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: capital · perch · chair · foot · branch · kick · jam · pass

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — a permit
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chair — a leader
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kick — in football
  24. capital — a city

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