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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cell — in biology
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rock — music
  16. current — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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