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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.

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: mark · field · drill · kick · bulb · current · bass · scale

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — army training
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — of water
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bass — low music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — happening now

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