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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: pound · saw · bowl · mate · branch · key · press · safe

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mate — a friend
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. key — in music
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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