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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — a division
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — low music

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