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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: wave · track · net · stick · pound · land · swing · current

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — a path
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — to come down
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — ground
  13. net — in sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — after costs
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a song
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. current — electric

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