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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: staff · land · drill · cue · roll · pound · pop · spell

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — soda
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — a country
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — magic
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  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