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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 · chest · kick · court · scale · mug · snap · fine

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — for sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chest — a box
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. drill — army training
  20. court — of a king
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a face

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