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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: club · last · mug · branch · bore · key · game · scale

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. game — a match
  18. last — finally
  19. scale — in music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bore — to drill
  23. last — final
  24. branch — of a bank

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