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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · pitcher · branch · mark · fork · cap · key · squash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — in music
  5. branch — a division
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — in a road
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. field — a subject
  24. cap — of ice

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