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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — for a lock
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — in music
  22. march — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — a big deal

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