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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: branch · pit · court · cap · leaves · lie · bound · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — in a race
  5. court — for sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. court — of a king
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — obliged
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of law
  24. bound — tied together

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