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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 · march · roll · fine · file · nail · bay · branch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — of ice
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. march — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a tool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — of a tree

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