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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stem — a stem cell

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