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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 116 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: bound · club · key · plane · snap · present · branch · chip

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — there
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. present — the time now
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — for betting

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