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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: safe · key · clip · pop · bank · scale · last · pass

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. last — finally
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — final
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. clip — a video
  20. pop — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. pop — soda
  23. clip — for paper
  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