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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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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: pass · dip · ball · can · pound · branch · nail · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pass — a permit
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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