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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. bark — to shout
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — to tease
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — child
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. game — a kind of play

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