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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pound — a weight
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. root — the cause
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — child

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