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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: branch · key · squash · can · pop · suit · land · chair

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — to crush
  6. suit — clothes
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pop — to visit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — a leader
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — a country
  19. key — in music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. land — ground

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