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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 · date · snap · drill · board · field · land · rush

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. land — a country
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — to come down
  17. drill — army training
  18. field — for sport
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — farmland
  22. drill — a practice
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to click

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