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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: can · scale · nail · bass · pit · kick · club · fall

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. scale — in music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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