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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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468
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 · saw · scale · tube · net · stick · board · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — to get on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — for catching
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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