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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: chip · trunk · row · root · cap · mug · capital · branch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cap — a lid
  13. capital — money
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. mug — a face
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. cap — a hat
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. branch — of a bank

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