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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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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 · rock · pound · branch · pitcher · foot · lie · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rock — a stone
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — a measure
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. branch — a division

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