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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · firm · hand · pop · branch · cue

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a lid
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — for pool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. firm — a company
  16. cap — a hat
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cue — a hint

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