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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. field — a subject
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pound — a weight
  17. field — for sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bowl — a dish

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