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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — shares

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