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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: pound · bulb · bowl · arm · current · wind · land · stand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — to bear
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — to come down
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — part of the body

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