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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — size or range
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — army training
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — to tire
  11. drill — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — a container
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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