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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 120 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: pop · ground · cap · mate · branch · key · file · coach

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — a division
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — soda
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. file — a document
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. file — a tool

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