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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. last — final
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — to go on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — of the sea
  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