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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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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: perch · craft · pound · band · wave · bark · roll · stick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. roll — a list
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a cake
  10. craft — boats
  11. band — a music group
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. craft — a skill
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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