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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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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: hand · lean · row · mug · current · pound · ball · fork

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. current — of water
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — electric
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — help
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — happening now
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fork — in a road

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