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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: tear · pit · pound · key · bass · board · bank · court

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — of a king
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. court — of law
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pound — to hit hard

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