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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. current — of water
  24. stand — for spectators

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