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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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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: kick · bulb · current · band · bowl · shower · pound · scale

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. band — a music group
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a ring
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — rain
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bowl — a football final

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