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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · stem · key · march · club · hide · ball · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. march — music
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — for golf
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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