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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — a position
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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