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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — of the year
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — an aim
  22. march — music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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