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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — in music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — the animal

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