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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: drill · perch · pass · march · toast · court · scale · tube

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — a container
  6. toast — bread
  7. drill — a practice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — of a king
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tube — the underground
  22. scale — in music
  23. drill — army training
  24. march — 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