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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bank — for money

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