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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: stand · trunk · scale · content · pop · track · bound · nail

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pop — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — obliged
  19. track — a path
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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