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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: bear · prune · drill · scale · bore · spring · rock · cabinet

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spring — 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