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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — a division
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — a match
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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