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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — the most important part
  3. root — of a word
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — for golf
  6. bat — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. club — a group
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cue — for pool

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