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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: fork · band · staff · bank · root · bound · key · roll

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bound — obliged
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — in music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. roll — a list
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. root — of a plant
  24. band — a ring

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