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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 116 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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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: pound · net · craft · wave · stand · wake · ground · bark

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. craft — boats
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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