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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 124 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — a division
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — for dogs

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