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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · scale · fine · kick · pit · drill

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — a practice
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pit — a hole

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