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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: pound · mine · file · rash · object · bulb · bank · pop

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. file — a document
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. object — an aim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a line of people
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  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