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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: craft · saw · content · drill · scale · squash · tube · bound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — a container
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — army training
  14. scale — size or range
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — in music
  24. content — videos and posts

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