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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: field · key · stand · bank · bore · bass · row · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — a line
  18. field — a subject
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the fish

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