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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. court — for sport
  9. rock — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. capital — a city
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — a position
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ground — crushed
  24. court — of law

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