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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — for weighing

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