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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. current — happening now
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  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