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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: net · mouse · land · staff · pound · bank · date · ball

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. land — ground
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — for catching
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — a country
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — the fruit

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