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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
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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: straw · drill · trunk · bowl · scale · pass · kick · game

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — in music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bowl — a football final

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