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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: roll · coach · spring · fine · bulb · key · bank · branch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — of a river
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spring — a coil
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — a list
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — of a plant

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