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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 · swing · bowl · current · tear · pop · wave · fan

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. current — of water
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — soda

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