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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 · land · club · board · rock · spell · bank · plane

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — of a river
  6. club — a group
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — to get on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — to come down
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pound — a weight

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