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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — wild animals
  7. land — a country
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — to come down
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pound — a weight
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — a division
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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