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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: bore · row · mouse · scale · ground · spell · pound · ball

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. row — a line
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ball — a great time
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spell — letters
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pound — for dogs

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