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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — a law
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. rule — government
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — a subject

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