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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.

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: mark · mine · deal · row · pound · bass · nail · ball

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a dance
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a line
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — low music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — to handle

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