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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — hurry
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — in football
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — a weight
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — for 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