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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 120 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: march · bank · cabinet · rush · firm · pound · lean · bass

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — the fish
  8. firm — a company
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lean — to rest against

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