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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 120 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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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: pass · nail · race · scale · pitch · drill · pound · racket

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. scale — size or range
  24. drill — army training

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