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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 124 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — a series
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pound — a weight
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — hasty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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