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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: scale · pop · bulb · pit · ruler · bore · saw · cap

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — of ice
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — to tire

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