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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.

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: pound · straw · hand · stand · current · bowl · track · calf

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — electric
  5. track — a song
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — of water
  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