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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — in cards
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — low music
  15. key — in music
  16. season — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — the most important part
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hand — help
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. season — of the year

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