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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — for catching
  9. chest — a box
  10. net — in sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — a company
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — letters
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — a hat

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