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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. key — for a lock
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — the season
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — a group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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