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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pit — in a race
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — government
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — a division
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — the most important part
  15. degree — temperature
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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