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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: game · stand · mate · nail · pound · branch · cap · key

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stand — to bear
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — to breed

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