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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 · scale · stick · band · shower · pit · bowl · mark

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. scale — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to drill
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a grade

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