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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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