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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: key · drill · present · capital · bay · mate · branch · mouse

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — to breed
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — in music
  11. capital — a city
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — a gift
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a friend

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