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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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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: pit · court · tube · board · key · rest · stick · branch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — in music
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — a division
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — of law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — of a tree

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