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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — a group
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cell — a phone
  24. net — after costs

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