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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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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: stick · cap · bay · tube · branch · key · leaves · ground

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. key — for a lock
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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