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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — to shout
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — a division
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — to fit
  14. face — to point toward
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. degree — from a university
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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