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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
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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: snap · drill · root · trunk · board · bound · scale · date

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — obliged
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — in music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. drill — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. root — of a word
  24. drill — army training

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