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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: object · pound · saw · mine · land · fan · stand · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — to come down
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. object — a thing
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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