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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 116 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: file · branch · pit · craft · row · pound · dip · cabinet

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. row — a line
  24. branch — of a bank

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