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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — soda
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — a break
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — an injury

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