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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: pit · fork · squash · branch · capital · jam · key · nail

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pit — in a race
  3. capital — a city
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — a hole
  13. key — for a lock
  14. squash — the sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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