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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: staff · squash · drill · craft · last · pit · scale · coach

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. squash — to crush
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. last — to go on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — size or range
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — army training
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. last — final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — the vegetable

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