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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: drill · degree · track · stem · firm · pit · scale · mark

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — a grade
  6. scale — in music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — steady
  12. pit — a hole
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a song
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — in a race
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. scale — for weighing

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