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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. bark — to shout
  12. object — a thing
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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