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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 116 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 · present · wave · chair · bank · cabinet · net · pop

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. present — there
  4. chair — a leader
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pop — soda
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pop — to visit
  17. present — the time now
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — in sport

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