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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: pitcher · fine · pound · row · root · bank · bark · chair

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. root — of a word
  6. bark — to shout
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fine — all right
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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