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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — for catching
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. last — final
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bat — for baseball

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