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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a music group
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — in cards

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