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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: mug · stick · scale · coach · branch · fan · capital · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — a city
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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