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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. row — a line
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. season — of the year
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — to add flavour
  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