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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: can · key · branch · coach · deal · drill · game · wake

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. deal — to handle
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — army training
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — a practice
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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