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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. key — the most important part
  7. foot — a measure
  8. row — to paddle
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — for catching
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. row — a line
  22. key — in music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — the bottom

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