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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 116 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 · fine · pound · mine · key · club · sharp · drill

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. club — for golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — for a lock
  24. club — for dancing

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