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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. kick — in football
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. swing — to play on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bank — of a river
  13. race — humankind
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — in golf
  21. branch — a division
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — music
  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