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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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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: suit · scale · fork · race · ground · wake · stick · drill

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. race — a contest
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — army training
  19. ground — a position
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — the tool

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