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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: suit · roll · pound · jam · chest · cell · rock · bank

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. roll — a list
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chest — of your body

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