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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — a trail
  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