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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — a video
  18. branch — a division
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — to cut
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. staff — a stick

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