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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. march — music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. march — the month

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