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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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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: bore · pound · stem · scale · shower · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — to tire
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bore — gave birth

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