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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: drill · arm · scale · club · pound · hand · object · dip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. object — a thing
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — army training
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. scale — in music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. club — for golf

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