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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — for a lock
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — soda
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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