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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rock — music
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — certain
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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