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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 · drill · cap · suit · squash · file · bore · bound

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. scale — size or range
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bore — to tire
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. file — a line of people
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cap — of ice
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a document
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. drill — the tool

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