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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spring — of water
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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