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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a music group
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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