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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — a weight
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a great time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a song
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. track — a path
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. shower — to wash
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — for spectators

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