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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: board · fine · foot · wound · scale · band · stand · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — size or range
  9. foot — a measure
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fine — all right
  17. scale — in music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a ring

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