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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. pound — a weight
  10. present — a gift
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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