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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 120 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: squash · drill · pound · row · rock · bowl · net · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rock — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a dish

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