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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — rain
  22. season — in sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. pound — to hit hard

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