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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 · content · mark · net · chip · bulb · scale · mine

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — for digging

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