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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. key — for a lock

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