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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — the most important part
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hand — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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