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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — a weight
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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