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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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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: root · stand · hand · bowl · nail · branch · swing · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. swing — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — of a word
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stand — for spectators

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