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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: current · ball · pound · saw · ground · march · perch · bowl

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — a position
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — happening now
  14. perch — the fish
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — of water
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — crushed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — for a bird
  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