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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: firm · court · mine · present · wound · arm · branch · key

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — steady
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. key — for a lock
  14. present — there
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. present — the time now
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — a division
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — decided

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