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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — a division
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — an aim
  24. clip — to cut

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