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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
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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: rash · march · wave · clip · can · bulb · pound · game

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. clip — a video
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — a series
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — the month

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