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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stock — shares
  16. field — farmland
  17. wind — moving air
  18. field — for sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — a subject

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