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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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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 · pit · jam · dip · cue · drill · scale · tear

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — a signal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tear — to rip
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — for pool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — a practice
  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