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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — a face
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — in sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — for catching
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pop — music
  24. mug — a cup

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