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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chip — to eat
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. season — of the year
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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