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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: pop · suit · pound · present · kid · wake · net · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kid — child
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pop — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — clothes

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