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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pound — a weight
  5. net — in sport
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — a break
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. charge — in control
  17. bank — for money
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — after costs

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