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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 120 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: bark · ruler · wax · bowl · scale · row · kid · patient

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — child
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — in music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bowl — to roll

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