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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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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: bank · foot · wake · cue · stand · pound · bass · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — a group
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — low music
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. foot — a measure
  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