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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 116 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: rock · pound · nail · bear · racket · current · row · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. current — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a line
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. current — electric
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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