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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — a line
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. row — to paddle
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. branch — of a bank

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