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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. track — a song
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. foot — a measure
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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