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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — a division
  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