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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. game — a match
  9. shower — rain
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kid — to tease
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — a division
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pound — a weight
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kid — child
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for money

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