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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — shares
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — to rule out

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