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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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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: key · march · game · bank · tear · lean · bowl · vault

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — wild animals
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a match
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lean — to bend
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  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