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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rock — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. drill — a practice
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pit — in a race
  20. capital — money
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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