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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — ground
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pass — a permit

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