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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · bulb · straw · bank · drill · pop

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. drill — army training
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bank — of a river
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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