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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — the fish
  5. field — farmland
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. row — to paddle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. club — for dancing
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — a weight

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