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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 · bass · capital · land · wound · fork · cue · coach

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. capital — money
  20. cue — a hint
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fork — to eat with

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