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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · roll · bank · date · jam · mouse · key · band

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bank — for money
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitch — completely
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — for a lock
  24. date — the fruit

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