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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 · spring · ruler · jam · tear · drill · ground · charge

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — a practice
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — army training
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — in music
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. charge — a price

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