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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spring — the season
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a list
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chair — a leader
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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