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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: ball · pit · chest · can · bowl · stick · pound · row

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — to paddle
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chest — a box
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pound — to hit hard

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