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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. key — in music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — of water
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — thin

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