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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. club — for dancing
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. key — the most important part
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. toast — bread
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — for a lock
  23. club — a group
  24. craft — boats

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