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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 116 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 · nail · hand · pop · sharp · bore · swing · ball

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — music
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — to visit
  20. swing — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — gave birth

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