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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: present · rash · swing · rock · tube · wake · bowl · pound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — a container
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — there

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