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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — of law
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mark — a trace
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. object — to protest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. firm — a company
  22. march — the month
  23. object — a thing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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