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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: leaves · rest · court · cap · toast · lie · branch · pitch

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. toast — bread
  11. lie — to recline
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — for sport
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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