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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a cup
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. pound — a weight
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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