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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wind — moving air
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. firm — steady
  9. land — ground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — the fish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — decided
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — a company

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