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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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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: last · object · club · pound · content · trunk · bank · coach

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. last — final
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — an aim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. content — happy
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — to protest
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — a thing
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — for golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — for dancing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — finally
  21. club — a group
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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