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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: toast · stand · bound · clip · scale · cap · board · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. toast — bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — certain
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — obliged
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — in music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stand — to bear
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. clip — to cut
  23. march — music
  24. clip — for paper

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