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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: rush · pit · bay · bowl · drill · pitcher · scale · pound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — in a race
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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