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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: racket · lean · pound · ruler · bowl · file · wind · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lean — thin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pound — a weight
  12. file — a document
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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