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

Word bank: mouse · date · pound · wound · row · chip · bowl · toast

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — bread
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. date — the fruit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. date — on the calendar

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