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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: bound · tube · bank · patient · bass · pound · last · fork

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pound — a weight
  8. last — to go on
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — low music
  19. last — finally
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. last — final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — for dogs

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