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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 · scale · wake · mark · perch · season · mouse · bass

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a trace

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