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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of a king
  7. squash — to crush
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. court — of law
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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