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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: mouse · ruler · stand · field · scale · hide · craft · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. craft — boats
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — to get on
  11. field — for sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — farmland
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — to bear

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