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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: chair · drill · game · can · bound · band · scale · rest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — tied together
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — certain
  10. drill — army training
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a match
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — a break
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — in music

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