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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fine — all right
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — high quality
  21. roll — a list
  22. ground — a position
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. racket — for tennis

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