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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. land — ground
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. land — a country
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — to be able to
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — a tin
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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