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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — thin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — a committee
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — 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