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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stock — goods
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stock — shares
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — finally
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bound — certain
  24. pound — a weight

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