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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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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 · pitch · mate · scale · rest · prune · fine · wake

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitch — completely
  22. drill — army training
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — all right

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