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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — in music
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a leader
  19. firm — decided
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cold — an illness

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