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

Word bank: bank · bark · bay · key · press · race

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — the arms race
  9. press — newspapers
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. key — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — to shout

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