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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: scale · last · wave · bass · pitcher · foot · drill · rash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the fish
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — finally
  17. drill — the tool
  18. last — final
  19. rash — a series
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — a measure

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