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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: bowl · pop · game · pound · stem · perch · club · current

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. game — a match
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. game — wild animals
  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