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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · bound · board · spell · staff · scale · ball · pound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — certain
  24. spell — letters

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