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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: stand · file · bat · cap · branch · present · lie · racket

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — a gift
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — on your feet

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