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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: trunk · last · branch · bay · pitch · cap · jam · capital

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — final
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. capital — a city
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — finally
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. last — to go on
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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