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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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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 · stem · bat · pop · club · board · bank · present

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — to get on
  23. pop — to visit
  24. present — there

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