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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — to wash
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spring — a coil
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — a weight

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