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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · drill · current · row · pound · net · mate · bear

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. mate — a partner
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — in sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — to paddle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a line
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. current — electric

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