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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: pop · fan · fork · drill · game · scale · pass · toast

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — in music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — music
  13. toast — bread
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. game — wild animals
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — in a road
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. game — a match
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. drill — a practice

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