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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 120 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 · stand · ball · bowl · spell · fan · track · row

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — magic
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a path
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pound — to hit hard

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