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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: branch · cabinet · bowl · spring · date · cap · rock · drill

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — of water
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bowl — a dish

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