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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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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: fine · branch · game · ruler · pop · wound · rash · key

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rash — a series
  16. key — in music
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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