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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: key · ruler · bat · ground · band · rest · bank · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a ring
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a music group
  24. bat — for baseball

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