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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: mine · bank · fork · bass · club · pound · content · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — happy
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. content — the amount
  16. club — for golf
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — ministers

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