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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. fall — the season
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — in music
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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