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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: ball · pound · bark · dip · staff · wave · object · ground

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — to shout
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — a position
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — to sink

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