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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · mug · bowl · pound · drill · track · scale · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — in music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — a path
  5. rest — a break
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — a song
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — a weight
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — letters
  23. drill — a practice
  24. spell — a short time

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