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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — boats
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bowl — a dish

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