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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. current — electric
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. present — there
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pound — for dogs

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