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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: key · march · spring · pound · pit · perch · bank · bear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — the fish
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pound — a weight
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — the season
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bank — of a river

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