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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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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 · club · sharp · pitcher · court · bass · bank · trunk

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — a group
  6. court — for sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — a jug

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