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

Word bank: chest · mate · pound · bank · present · pit

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — there
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift

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