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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — in music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — steady
  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