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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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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: bowl · pound · roll · pass · arm · row · last · fork

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pound — a weight
  4. last — final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — finally
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — to go on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — a line
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — a part of something

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