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

Word bank: branch · key · pitch · kid · bore · pop · clip · stick

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kid — child
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kid — to tease
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — the most important part
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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