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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rash — a series
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — a contest

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