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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · trunk · branch · sharp · key · mine · bass · pop

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pop — soda
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — for digging
  9. key — for a lock
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — music
  24. mate — to breed

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