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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: nail · game · lie · pound · ball · bowl · bay · march

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — a weight
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a great time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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