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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · branch · cap · mug · fine · dip · mate · pop

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — the earth
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — a face
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — all right
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pop — to visit

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