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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. net — in sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. land — ground
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — a practice
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. land — to come down
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — the most important part
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — after costs

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