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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — clever
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — decided
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — steady
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bass — the fish

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