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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. scale — size or range
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  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