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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · tear · mate · scale · current · perch · field · bore

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. field — a subject
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — in music
  9. field — for sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mate — a friend
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a partner
  20. current — electric
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — for weighing

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