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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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Word bank
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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 · key · bear · firm · game · can · net · bass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. firm — steady
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — for catching
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — the animal
  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