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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: stick · club · stand · hide · rock · scale · bass · drill

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — a group
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. drill — army training

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