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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a music group
  7. bank — of a river
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — certain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. branch — a division
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bank — for money

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