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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pit — a hole
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rash — hasty

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