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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. march — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — a gift
  12. fine — all right
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — high quality
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — there
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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