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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. clip — for paper
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — a lid
  12. branch — a division
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. clip — a video
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ground — a position

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