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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: drill · fall · net · can · scale · fork · march · lean

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. net — for catching
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — army training
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — to bend

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