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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: stand · scale · land · bore · band · swing · rest · track

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a ring
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — to come down
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. bore — to tire
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — in music
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — for weighing

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