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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — letters
  6. land — to come down
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. degree — from a university
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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