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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — soda
  3. land — a country
  4. pop — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — ground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — for pool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a signal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. land — to come down
  24. pop — to visit

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