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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: tube · march · scale · wind · content · rush · board · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. board — to get on

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