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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: dip · current · pound · mate · bowl · land · toast · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. current — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — ground
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — to come down
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. land — a country
  16. mate — to breed
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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