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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · mug · board · ground · bass · prune · bore

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ground — a position
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. mug — a cup

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