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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: spring · wind · bank · ball · bass · pound · bay · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — the time now
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — the season
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — a gift
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — the fish

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