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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: file · branch · stick · kid · bore · key · club · spell

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for golf
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. bore — to drill
  20. branch — a division
  21. kid — child
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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