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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. deal — to handle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — a weight
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. branch — of a bank

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