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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: court · bear · wind · rush · band · pound · bound · bank

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — of a river
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of a king
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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