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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: ball · key · hand · track · safe · bear · march · branch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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