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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: chair · branch · sharp · deal · present · key · jam · cap

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — in music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. present — there
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — to handle

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