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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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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: cap · object · kid · row · rock · mate · bowl · current

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — child
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — electric
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. rock — music

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