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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 · band · chip · bore · drill · ball · degree · charge

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — in music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chip — to eat
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — temperature
  24. charge — electricity

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