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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: bank · bore · coach · stick · trunk · scale · drill · chair

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to drill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. trunk — of a car

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