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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: fine · pound · rush · bound · march · bank · wave · net

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. net — after costs
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — certain
  11. march — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  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