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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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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: leaves · pit · deal · band · shower · march · bank · key

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. march — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a ring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — the most important part

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