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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — for golf
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — a group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cold — not warm
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bowl — a dish

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