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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: mark · jam · sharp · scale · present · hand · drill · hide

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. scale — size or range
  12. present — there
  13. drill — army training
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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