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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: court · drill · bank · bound · pound · straw · pit · scale

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — army training
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. court — of a king
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. straw — a straw man

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