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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 · tube · board · stock · last · ball · bank · land

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — goods
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — shares
  5. last — finally
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — a container
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — a country
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — final
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — for dogs

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