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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rock — a stone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — the season
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — of a river

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