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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cap — of ice
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — a division
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — a stick
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — the fruit
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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