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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. game — a match
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. craft — boats
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — happening now
  21. swing — to play on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. swing — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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