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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 120 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: sharp · drill · mouse · swing · can · scale · row · bay

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. swing — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. row — to paddle
  20. scale — size or range
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. row — a line
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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