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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pop — soda

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