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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: mouse · coach · roll · pound · craft · rash · wind · ball

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — a weight
  6. roll — a cake
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — a series
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — for a computer

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