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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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 — the most important part
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — a division
  5. firm — a company
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — in music
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — in sport
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — of a bank
  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