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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — in sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — of water
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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