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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 · pit · row · swing · chest · branch · object · rock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. object — an aim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — a box
  17. swing — music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rock — a stone
  24. key — for a lock

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