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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 · suit · tear · ground · bass · stem · pit · cap

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pit — in a race
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a lid
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bass — low music

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