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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: file · cell · season · branch · fine · foot · roll · can

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — a division
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a document
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. branch — of a bank

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