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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — in music
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — to fit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spring — the season
  21. field — farmland
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cap — a hat

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