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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a dance
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — a division
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. clip — to cut
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — a video
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bore — to tire

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