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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: sharp · cap · key · field · plane · bore · branch · bear

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — in music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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