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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. jam — in traffic

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