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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — rain
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. plane — in geometry

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