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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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Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pass — a permit
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. scale — size or range
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a ring
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a music group
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — a safe
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cold — not warm
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cold — the Cold War

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