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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cue — a signal

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