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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.

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: bore · object · scale · hand · bowl · cue · sharp · track

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bore — to drill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — help
  12. object — a thing
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a song
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a path
  18. object — an aim
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — with an edge

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