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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · drill · shower · stick · object · mark · spring · fork

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — army training
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spring — a coil
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — a thing
  8. spring — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. object — an aim
  24. fork — to eat with

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