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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — for catching
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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