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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: march · chest · stand · drill · bound · nail · deal · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. club — a group
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — to bear
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — an agreement

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