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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pound — a weight
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — a hat
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. cap — a lid

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