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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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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: snap · band · can · rule · bank · club · file · key

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. snap — to click
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rule — government
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for dancing
  20. key — in music
  21. band — a music group
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a line of people
  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