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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. shower — rain
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — a match
  24. present — there

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