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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a partner
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — a weight
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a grade

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