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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — a break
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. track — a path
  10. press — a publisher
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — newspapers
  14. track — a song
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hand — help
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. press — to push
  24. hand — in cards

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