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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: patient · cap · club · arm · pop · bank · date · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. date — the fruit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — to visit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — soda
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — of ice

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