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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 · bank · stock · club · rash · ball · swing · saw

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. club — a group
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — to play on

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