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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — of ice
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a great time
  24. leaves — to go away

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