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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · stick · wave · racket · pound · chair

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — for dogs

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