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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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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — high quality
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — all right
  13. land — to come down
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rule — government
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — ground
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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