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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — a division
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hand — help
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bear — the animal

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