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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: kid · mark · bulb · pound · drill · bowl · spell · mug

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spell — magic
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — army training
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spell — a short time

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