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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — to be able to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — completely
  15. game — a match
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — for a lock
  20. date — the fruit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — a sports field

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