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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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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: nail · cap · snap · stock · club · branch · key · jam

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — a lid
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. key — the most important part
  8. club — a group
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to click
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. key — for a lock
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. branch — a division

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