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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.

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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 · bank · mug · coach · fork · cap · ruler · clip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — to rob
  3. clip — for paper
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — of a river
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a face
  24. ruler — for measuring

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