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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: firm · cell · pound · can · season · bat · straw · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — decided

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