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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cold — not warm
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — to tire
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. club — for golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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