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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: squash · ground · date · mark · suit · chip · capital · branch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — clothes
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. capital — money
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — a city
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — a position
  18. date — the fruit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a trace
  22. squash — to crush
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. chip — for betting

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