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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: can · scale · field · drill · deal · row · hand · bay

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — the tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hand — in cards
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. row — a line
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — army training
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. field — a subject

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