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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — a division
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — in music
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a hole
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pit — in a race
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. land — ground
  21. stock — shares
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — goods
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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