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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · stem · branch · rock · current · snap · pitch · bass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — happening now
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — a division
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — a stone

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