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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — obliged

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