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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — electricity
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — rain
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. bass — the fish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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