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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 116 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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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: row · bound · rule · key · band · drill · scale · dip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rule — a law
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. row — a line
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — government

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