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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: dip · rule · scale · fine · roll · bore · mark · fall

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. dip — to sink
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. roll — a list
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — the season
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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