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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.

Words on the sheet
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: scale · ruler · charge · march · patient · board · rest · bound

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. scale — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. march — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — certain

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