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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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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — a committee
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. object — an aim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pound — a weight
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a lid

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