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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. club — a group
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — for catching
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — in sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — after costs

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