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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. roll — a list
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fork — in a road
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — for dogs

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