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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: rock · leaves · pound · bound · bank · land · scale · band

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — in music
  7. band — a ring
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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