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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — rain
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. suit — to fit

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