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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: pound · chip · bank · pitcher · wax · row · deal · march

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. march — the month
  8. wax — to grow
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. row — to paddle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — in a computer

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