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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 · dip · coach · land · bore · bass · rule · rush

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — to tire
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — to come down
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — government
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — low music

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