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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · mark · toast · pitcher · drill · scale · jam · rest

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — a break
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — army training
  22. file — a tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. scale — size or range

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