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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mug — a cup
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. pop — to visit

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