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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a path
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. craft — boats
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wave — with your hand

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