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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — to rob
  4. club — for golf
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — soda
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bass — low music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mug — a face
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — a group

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