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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: capital · calf · key · leaves · object · branch · bank · coach

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. object — an aim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — a division

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