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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — a country
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stock — shares
  19. tube — a container
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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