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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: nail · spell · pop · current · mark · land · staff · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — a short time
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — a trace
  18. land — ground
  19. current — happening now
  20. land — to come down
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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