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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: pound · bound · ball · scale · snap · bass · drill · row

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ball — a dance
  10. drill — a practice
  11. row — to paddle
  12. drill — army training
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bass — the fish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a round shape

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