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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: bowl · scale · ruler · pop · bound · kid · stem · snap

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. scale — in music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kid — child
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — certain

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