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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 120 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: current · swing · mine · bowl · bay · march · pound · last

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — finally
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. swing — music
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — final
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — the month
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — of water
  24. mine — for digging

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