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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: stick · bulb · chip · cell · capital · hand · branch · craft

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. capital — a city
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — for betting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — a division
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cell — in a prison
  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