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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. land — to come down
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — a country

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