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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. prune — to trim

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