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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: key · safe · branch · mine · sharp · net · bound · pit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — the most important part

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