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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
468
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 · capital · date

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a city
  8. date — the fruit
  9. kid — child
  10. track — a song
  11. capital — money
  12. track — a path
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — army training
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pass — a permit

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