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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: key · bat · saw · season · object · kid · board · branch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bat — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — child
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — to tease
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. object — to protest
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — to add flavour

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