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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: lie · row · bulb · field · drill · bore · scale · suit

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. field — farmland
  3. drill — army training
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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