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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — electric
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wind — moving air
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. current — of water
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — in sport

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