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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. field — a subject
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. drill — the tool
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — low music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. field — farmland
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. field — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pass — a permit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to spend 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