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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mark — a grade
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bark — of a tree

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