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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cell · wound · bank · bore · club · pop · can · dip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bank — of a river
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — a group
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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