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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — shares
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — an amount
  21. club — for golf
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — goods

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