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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: mine · pass · scale · lash · drill · bat · stock · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — in music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fork — to eat with

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