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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 116 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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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: pass · wind · rush · rock · bowl · current · pound · cell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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