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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: pitch · bound · nail · key · mine · ball · board · branch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — to get on

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