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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: bound · vault · drill · march · rock · scale · board · firm

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. firm — decided
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — army training
  7. scale — size or range
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. march — the month
  14. board — to get on
  15. march — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — obliged
  20. drill — the tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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