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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: hide · bark · key · pound · land · rock · kid · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — a country
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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