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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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