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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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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — letters
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — in music

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