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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: stick · chair · mouse · cabinet · can · bank · pitcher · key

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bank — of a river

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