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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 · rule · branch · staff · roll · coach · cap · pit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. staff — employees

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