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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 124 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — a subject
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. field — farmland
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — for sport

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