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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: bore · board · march · firm · scale · bulb · content · rule

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — happy
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. scale — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. content — the amount
  24. rule — government

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