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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: kid · tube · nail · chair · safe · branch · land · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — child
  4. land — a country
  5. tube — the underground
  6. land — ground
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — a leader
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — in a tire

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