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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
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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 · fine · snap · bowl · land · season · current · rash

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — of water
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — in sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — electric
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to click
  24. fine — a penalty

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