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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 120 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: swing · bank · club · chair · nail · bear · land · key

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — ground
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — a group
  9. chair — a leader
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. land — a country
  22. swing — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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