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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: dip · capital · march · bound · chip · branch · mark · track

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chip — for betting
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a song
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — a path
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. capital — a city
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — money
  24. march — music

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