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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: foot · branch · pitcher · nail · rock · capital · bulb · face

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — a division
  6. face — to confront
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. capital — money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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