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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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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: pound · ball · club · roll · chest · stick · bank · mark

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bank — of a river
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chest — a box
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a list
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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