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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: bank · cabinet · key · saw · temple · bass · pound · present

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — a weight
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — the time now
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bank — of a river

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