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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a grade
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — help
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. key — the most important part

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