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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.

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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: sharp · object · capital · spell · branch · pit · bank · last

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — a short time
  10. last — final
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. capital — money
  14. last — to go on
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — finally
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. object — a thing
  22. spell — letters
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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