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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: branch · row · arm · net · pop · pound · sharp · bass

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — a division
  13. sharp — clever
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the fish
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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