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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: ball · current · scale · bore · bear · ruler · fall · cell

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. current — happening now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — the season
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — electric
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in biology
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — of water
  24. scale — size or range

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