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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: key · racket · cue · safe · clip · band · bank · mouse

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — in music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cue — a hint
  20. band — a music group
  21. cue — for pool
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — for a lock

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