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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — a division
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a music group
  14. capital — a city
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. object — to protest
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. band — a rubber band

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