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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — wild animals
  18. root — the cause
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. key — in 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