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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — a division
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — for digging
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bowl — a football final
  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