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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — ground
  3. current — of water
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — in music
  9. current — electric
  10. march — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — a division
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. land — to come down
  23. saw — the tool
  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