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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. capital — a city
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  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