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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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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: bank · march · safe · key · ruler · pit · fine · clip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. key — in music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — to cut
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — the month
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fine — high quality
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. clip — a video
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — a hole

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