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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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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. club — for dancing
  7. field — a subject
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bank — of a river
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a document
  24. club — a group

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