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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. net — after costs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — a thing
  6. present — a gift
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a ring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. object — to protest
  20. band — a music group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. net — for catching
  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