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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — music
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bank — of a river
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — a stone
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. perch — for a bird

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