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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a list
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. date — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. roll — a cake
  15. chest — a box
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to click
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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