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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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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: branch · sharp · pop · pound · band · land · wave · ruler

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — ground
  24. band — a music group

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