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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: stand · nail · kid · plane · content · branch · pound · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — child
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — the amount
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. branch — a division
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — a tool

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