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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · mine · drill · chip · stick · fine · hide · bound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. drill — army training
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. drill — the tool

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