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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 116 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 · wound · bank · pit · chair · scale · pop · present

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pop — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — there
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bank — of a river
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — the time now
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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