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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: pound · tube · roll · wave · cabinet · mug · row · ball

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. roll — a list
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — a cake
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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