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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: bound · drill · deal · swing · cabinet · roll · scale · chest

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — to play on
  19. roll — a list
  20. chest — a box
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — certain
  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