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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. branch — a division
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — of a bank

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