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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. branch — a division
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ruler — a monarch

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