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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: cap · branch · ball · dip · court · lie · jam · row

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — to recline
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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