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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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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: snap · key · ball · rush · row · bat · pound · cabinet

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — to paddle
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. row — a line
  21. key — in music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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