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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: pop · rash · ball · branch · fall · safe · rock · key

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — in music
  22. rock — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rash — on the skin

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