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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: wound · tube · bank · bound · perch · fork · cue · key

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bank — of a river
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — for pool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bound — tied together

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