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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.

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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: pitcher · pound · fine · ruler · bark · land · kid · wave

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kid — to tease
  3. land — a country
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — all right
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. land — ground

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