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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: bowl · face · current · rock · cap · pound · roll · kid

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. current — electric
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — happening now
  20. rock — music
  21. roll — a list
  22. current — of water
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rock — to move gently

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