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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: squash · land · can · mark · wake · bank · fork · pound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — a country
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. land — to come down
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — of a river

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