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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: fan · bulb · key · cold · bank · swing · pitcher · bore

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — of a river
  3. swing — music
  4. key — in music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fan — a supporter

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