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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — a weight
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ground — a position
  10. craft — boats
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — the earth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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