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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: bay · shower · foot · saw · drill · scale · suit · club

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. shower — rain
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — clothes
  22. drill — a practice
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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