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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.

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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: staff · mark · degree · scale · land · pitch · bass · drill

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — low music
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — ground

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