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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: straw · nail · bat · pop · hide · branch · pound · scale

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pop — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — a straw man

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