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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. cabinet — ministers

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