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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — the most important part
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — humankind
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — the arms race
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — for a lock
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — clever

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