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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — humankind
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — for catching
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — in sport
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — after costs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — a contest

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