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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: pass · content · march · scale · suit · snap · drill · tube

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — in music
  3. drill — army training
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. march — the month
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tube — a container
  16. drill — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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