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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 120 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: arm · march · cell · pass · bore · plane · scale · bound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — certain
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bound — obliged

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