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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: bat · pop · rock · dip · deal · drill · scale · file

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. scale — size or range
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. file — a document
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. dip — to sink

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