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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: staff · scale · patient · toast · degree · bound · saw · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — obliged
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — a sick person

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