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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: bank · bound · hand · arm · pound · track · tube · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — certain
  19. hand — help
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — a stick

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