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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. net — in sport
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — for catching
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — final
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. net — after costs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — a line

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