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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: sharp · key · craft · rule · bank · cap · wave · field

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. field — for sport
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. field — farmland
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bank — of a river
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. key — in music
  23. rule — government
  24. key — for a lock

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