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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — to push
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fall — the season
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. degree — from a university
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a signal

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