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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 116 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: bay · bark · file · cue · drill · scale · march · pitch

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a document
  6. march — music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitch — completely
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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