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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lean — to bend
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. lean — thin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a lid
  9. field — farmland
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — a group
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. prune — to trim

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