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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — low music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — boats
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — a skill

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