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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cap — a lid
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. root — of a word
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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