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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: cold · bank · firm · charge · object · key · club · rest

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — to protest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. object — an aim
  6. key — in music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — a price
  10. cold — an illness
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — electricity
  24. firm — a company

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