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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: rock · bulb · branch · dip · press · kid · key · track

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. key — in music
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — child
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — a path
  10. press — a publisher
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — to tease
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — to keep track
  24. branch — of a bank

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