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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · ground · bank · pound · sharp · date

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. sharp — with an edge

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