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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — all right
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — for a lock

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