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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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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: squash · roll · pound · ball · bowl · game · jam · lean

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pound — a weight
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — a list
  15. game — a match
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ball — a round shape

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