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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: game · foot · rock · pitcher · tear · pound · current · lash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tear — to rip
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — electric
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. game — a match
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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