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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: clip · bulb · mark · row · bound · deal · scale · bore

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. deal — to handle
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — certain
  8. clip — a video
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — tied together

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