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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 124 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — a measure
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — a weight

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