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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · bulb · board · stick · fall · mouse

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — a series

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