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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.

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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 · wind · chip · straw · bowl · kick · object · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. kick — in football
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rock — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. object — a thing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. object — an aim

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