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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. scale — in music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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