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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: branch · pitch · squash · current · degree · sharp · key · hide

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — of water
  10. key — in music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — temperature
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — completely

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