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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 120 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 · squash · pit · key · chair · stand · nail · drill

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — army training
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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