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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — for sport
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a lid
  7. staff — a stick
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — a division
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. court — of a king
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — of ice

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