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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: chip · wax · march · cold · suit · pound · mark · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cold — an illness
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. march — the month

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