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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a match
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — hurry
  24. track — to keep track

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