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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: bank · bass · club · fine · chair · pound · pop · leaves

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pop — music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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