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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: bowl · rock · drill · pound · sharp · fan · kick · mug

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — in football
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pound — a weight
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — a stone
  24. sharp — exactly

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