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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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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bat — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — a group
  24. track — to keep track

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