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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: nail · press · key · wave · pitch · band · bank · row

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. press — to push
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — completely

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