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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.

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: current · hand · bowl · season · mark · object · fall · pop

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — electric
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — happening now
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — of water
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hand — help
  23. object — to protest
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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