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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 · scale · key · land · mouse · dip · ground · ball

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — ground
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. land — to come down
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ball — a dance

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