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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cap — a hat
  11. roll — a cake
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — to visit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. coach — a trainer

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