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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fork — in a road
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. game — a match
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. date — on the calendar

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