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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rule — government
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — a law
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a hole
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — in music
  11. march — music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — to breed

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