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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: wind · jam · bowl · drill · saw · mark · ruler · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ruler — a monarch

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