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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — electric
  7. content — the amount
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — in music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — of ice
  16. branch — a division
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — employees

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