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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: racket · branch · bear · chair · pound · lean · bowl · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — to come down
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — to put up with

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