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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · key · hand · drill · ball · bear · season · pop

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — in music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — help
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — to visit
  24. branch — of a tree

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