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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — boats
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — hasty
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — a weight

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