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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rash — a series
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. file — a document

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