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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 116 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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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: bay · mark · bowl · cap · branch · kick · straw · pitcher

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — a division
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — a trace
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — a lid
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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