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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: mouse · saw · bay · pop · wake · prune · bowl · row

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — soda

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