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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — a grade
  10. field — a subject
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — farmland
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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