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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. court — of law
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — tied together
  7. drill — army training
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — obliged
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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