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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — a weight
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. foot — a measure
  13. last — finally
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. drill — army training

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