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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. land — a country
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. land — ground
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — completely
  18. club — for dancing
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. club — for golf
  24. rash — on the skin

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