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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 120 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: bore · coach · nail · scale · content · bulb · squash · bowl

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bore — to tire
  11. content — happy
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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