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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — soda
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pop — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — ground
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. land — to come down
  21. squash — to crush
  22. land — a country
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. squash — the 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