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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: present · drill · saw · shower · pit · scale · jam · content

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. content — the amount
  3. shower — rain
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — happy
  6. pit — in a race
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. scale — in music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. shower — to wash
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — a gift
  23. drill — a practice
  24. scale — for weighing

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