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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.

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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: current · bear · land · scale · bore · ground · lie · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. land — a country
  3. tube — the underground
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — crushed
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bore — to tire
  24. current — of water

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