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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — a thing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — crushed

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