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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · bark · bowl · stick · file · mark · branch · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a document
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — a division
  22. file — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a dish

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