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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: row · mouse · pound · fork · bass · hide · branch · saw

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — to keep secret

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