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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: scale · bound · board · wake · race · cabinet · pitch · drill

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — in music
  7. race — humankind
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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