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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 116 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: pit · branch · clip · track · cap · net · key · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — the most important part
  11. branch — a division
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — a path
  16. clip — a video
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a lid
  21. clip — to cut
  22. track — a song
  23. cap — a hat
  24. key — for a lock

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