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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: scale · bound · tear · stem · game · ball · bore · board

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — to rip
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. board — to get on
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bound — tied together

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