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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: band · pitcher · plane · scale · drill · bound · kid · can

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kid — child
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a ring
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — army training
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. drill — a practice
  24. plane — an aircraft

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