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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
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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: nail · branch · board · prune · pound · cap · plane · capital

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — a committee
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a city
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — a weight
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — a tool
  24. capital — money

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