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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: bowl · scale · wave · bore · drill · ground · pound · board

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bore — to tire
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — army training
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. drill — the tool

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