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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. shower — to wash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — after costs
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — a weight
  12. net — in sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rock — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — a flat piece

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