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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: chair · arm · wind · racket · wave · bear · bank · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. arm — part of the body
  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