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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.

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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: club · pound · mine · board · bank · band · vault · ball

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — of a river
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. club — a group
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a committee
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a rubber band

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