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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — a weight
  3. current — electric
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — wild animals
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a match
  24. mine — for digging

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