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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 120 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: march · rash · bank · bulb · court · temple · wake · pound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of a king
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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