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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 116 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 · mate · mine · branch · firm · pit · mug · stand

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. firm — steady
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — to rob
  11. firm — a company
  12. capital — a city
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — decided
  19. capital — money
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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