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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: sharp · face · bowl · squash · pound · current · spell · stock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pound — a weight
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — happening now
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — electric
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. face — to confront
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — magic
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — shares
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — a soup base

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