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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · bank · deal · scale · staff · board · prune · track

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a song

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