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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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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 · clip · dip · race · mouse · bowl · bulb · wake

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pound — a weight
  5. race — the arms race
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pound — for dogs

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