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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · bank · pound · mug · present · spell · land · fine

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — a country
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spell — letters
  9. land — to come down
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mug — a face
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. land — ground
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — magic
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — there
  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