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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: drill · fine · roll · swing · foot · face · scale · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pass — a permit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. roll — a cake
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — to play on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — army training
  21. face — to confront
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fine — high quality
  24. scale — in music

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