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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. degree — an amount
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a line
  24. squash — the sport

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