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

Word bank: pound · deal · drill · scale · race · branch

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — a division
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. drill — a practice
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. race — humankind

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