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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: tube · club · fine · mark · scale · saw · pop · drill

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. drill — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. drill — a practice
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. drill — army training
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. club — for golf
  24. tube — a container

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