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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. scale — size or range
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — boats

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