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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 116 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: present · wave · season · scale · straw · perch · pit · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. scale — in music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — a gift
  9. drill — a practice
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — there
  22. drill — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. scale — size or range

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