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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. band — a music group
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — a friend
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. key — in music
  24. band — a ring

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