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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: staff · tear · suit · key · club · bank · cold · pop

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — employees
  4. club — a group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cold — an illness
  8. club — for golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — in music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — in cards

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