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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: scale · present · trunk · stick · board · land · bore · ruler

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. board — to get on
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — the time now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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