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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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468
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: bound · stand · craft · degree · march · bark · bank · pound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — for money
  18. pound — a weight
  19. march — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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