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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · branch · pound · fine · ruler · cap

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ruler — a monarch

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