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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: tear · can · pitcher · saw · cap · degree · suit · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. tear — to rip
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — a hat
  24. tear — from crying

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