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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 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pound — for dogs

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