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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: jam · bowl · squash · cell · pound · present · row · wave

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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