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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: mug · pound · track · bank · chair · chest · trunk · bark

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — of your body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — a box
  15. mug — a face
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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