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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. row — a line
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — a song
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — in football
  14. pound — a weight
  15. track — a path
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a city
  24. staff — a stick

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