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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. key — in music
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — farmland
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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