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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: mark · fine · temple · bank · pound · net · cell · hand

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — high quality
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — in sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — a phone

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