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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: racket · march · pound · ruler · pop · bank

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — a weight
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — to visit
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pop — music

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