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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: cap · branch · bear · capital · board · object · foot · cold

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cap — a hat
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — a lid
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. object — an aim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. capital — money
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — to protest

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