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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for golf
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — to come down
  8. club — for dancing
  9. land — ground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. land — a country
  14. club — a group
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — steady
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — decided

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