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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — a practice
  6. game — a match
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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