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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: scale · mark · drill · suit · racket · rush · lean · season

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — in music
  10. lean — thin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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