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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.

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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: rash · pound · row · bass · fine · cabinet · current · bore

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — happening now
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rash — a series
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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