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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — a weight
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — a division
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — to rob
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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