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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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