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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — for sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — of a king

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