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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — a hole
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a great time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a line of people
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — music
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ball — a dance
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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