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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mine — for digging
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. file — a document
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. file — a tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. file — a line of people
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — a division
  24. prune — to trim

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