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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: pass · kid · drill · net · scale · track

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. 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. scale — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. track — a song
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — for catching
  18. 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