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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pound — a weight
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — to crush

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