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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: scale · straw · drill · bay · race · craft · bowl · bound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — humankind
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — army training
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bound — certain
  15. race — the arms race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bound — tied together
  20. craft — boats
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. race — a contest
  24. scale — in music

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