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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pop — soda
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bass — the instrument

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