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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: hide · pound · branch · cabinet · hand · track · march · ball

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hand — help
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a great time
  23. track — a song
  24. hand — in cards

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