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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. current — happening now
  15. craft — a skill
  16. current — electric
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — a trainer

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