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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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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: scale · stand · firm · bat · drill · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — on your feet

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